


Red and gold

by bunnysworld



Series: 2014 Holiday Fic tac toe [8]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 18:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2742635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is sick of the traditional Christmas colours and goes out to buy new baubles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red and gold

**Author's Note:**

> For the fic-tac-toe card, the pic with the baubles on the tree in the bottom corner on the right.
> 
> Thanks, Issy, for the beta!

Merlin had always thought that the traditional Christmas colours were boring. Red and gold. Red, green and gold, just lame, everybody did that. So he set his mind on exchanging some of the old baubles with colourful ones. He had tried a colour-changing charm as a kid and made most of the baubles explode – which made his mam very sad and him feel very guilty for weeks afterwards – and now he had saved up his money for silver and blue ones. They were nice colours and it was a change, a much needed-one, too.

When he entered the living room, Arthur was already in the middle of decorating. Damn, there went his chance to surprise him with the new coloured baubles.

“You know, Merlin…hand me a golden one, please? Thank you…I always loved decorating the tree with my mom. Be careful, these are the old ornaments she always used.” Arthur climbed off the ladder after he put the bauble on the tree, moved the ladder and climbed up again. “She always told me stories about our families and about the holidays when I was little while we set up the tree.”

Merlin swallowed hard. He knew this was the time of year where Arthur missed his mother most. 

“Sometimes she even made up stories about our family crest, telling me about evil dragons and brave knights defending a castle.” Arthur hung up the last of the ornaments, climbed off the ladder and looked at the tree. “You now, each year, I scold myself for being such a sentimental sap. Telling myself that I should throw those old baubles out and get new fancy ones in a different colour, but then…”

Giving the boxes with the new blue-and-silver baubles that he had put on the floor since the table and the sofa were packed with boxes a gentle kick, Merlin shoved them under couch. He wrapped his arms around Arthur, looked at the tree for a moment and then turned to put a soft kiss on Arthur’s cheek. He’d totally forgotten that red and gold were not only traditional Christmas colours, but the colours of Arthur’s family and how much the baubles meant to him since they were one of the few connections he still had with his mother. He nuzzled into Arthur’s neck. “It’s wonderful, Arthur. She would have loved it.”

Arthur pulled him close. “You would have loved her. I think you two would have been good friends.”

Merlin nodded. “I think so, too.”

Sniffing once, Arthur turned his head to put a gentle kiss on Merlin’s lips. “And you know, we’ve put a little tree up at the office, but for the lights, it’s still very naked. Maybe we can use your blue baubles there?”


End file.
